Byrne Wins and Irwin on Podium at Brands
Round two of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship proved productive for the Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team who enjoyed a pair of strong results at Brands Hatch at the weekend with reigning champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne taking his first win of the season in race one and team-mate Glenn Irwin then taking second place in race two.
The Kent venue saw dry conditions for the opening 30-lap race, and six-times champion Byrne made a strong getaway off the line on the factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R to tuck in behind early race leader Bradley Ray and the duo remained nose to tail for the majority of the race. Going into the closing stages, Sittingbourne-based Londoner Byrne was ready to make his move and duly grabbed the lead at Paddock Hill Bend on the penultimate lap from where he hung on to take his 85th BSB career victory.
Irwin, meanwhile, put in a strong ride to claim seventh following a poor start which saw the Carrickfergus rider back to 12th on the first lap but steadily moved forward during the race and was duly rewarded with nine championship points for Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team.
With Shakey on the front row for the second 30-lap encounter and Glenn in seventh, the team was confident of another strong showing but it was only six laps old before the red flag came out due to rain. Restarted over the shorter distance of 22 laps and in wet conditions, both riders were part of a six-rider group battling for the lead in the early stages of the race.
Byrne slipped back to fourth as the race progressed, but Irwin continued to dispute the lead with Leon Haslam, Michael Laverty and Jake Dixon. Positions between them changed regularly and although Irwin led on the penultimate lap, he ultimately had to settle for second place.
Nevertheless, Irwin’s first podium of the season, along with his earlier seventh place, have moved him up into fourth overall in the championship table with Byrne remaining in second but having closed the gap to Ray to just ten points.
